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Long time lurker / occasional poster I though I should post up my current No. 1, posted a few weeks ago in the Ti thread I reckon this bike deserves a thread of it's own.

I built this as my first road bike last October having researched like mad. I bought the frame and fork after a great morning test riding a few Enigmas at their HQ in East Sussex. I found the owner Jim to be really enthusiastic about road bikes and I think some of that rubbed off on me, so I bought the frame fork and headset there and then. It also it happened to be the last mirror polished XL that they had in stock.

I decided to go quite light with my build choosing to save weight where I could but also keeping in mind a practicality that my 95kgs bulk would be hauling away at it I also opted for strong components where needed. I know I could easily get under the 7kgs barrier by upgrading the forks, switching to tubular wheels and lighter cables but for now this is how it stands.

Big thanks go to Jim at Enigma for letting me take out a few bikes to help decide, and James at Rock and Road Southampton for building me a pair of sweet wheels !!!

Pics:

The pictures are not the latest ones since I have changed the bar tape to white , hoods to black, and upgraded the saddle to a Kom Vor +, other than that it is all the same.

I also have another build in the pipeline coming later in the year for a steel framed winter / dirt road bike which will come in a bit heavier but still have the same attention to detail in selecting components, so far Mavic Open Pros laced 32h 3 cross to Royce Hubs with a Record 11 groupset. Might need some help with the finer details on that one.

It seems really nice, even bumpy roads don't cause too much trouble although it can get quite shaky if the road surface is very irregular and I am doing 30kph but I figured most bikes will report the same. I run the tryes quite hard (115 front, 120 rear) so I know I could improve comfort if I chose to loose and few pounds to soften things up a little.

What I can say is that I regularly hit 80 kph and it seems really planted and solid. When I stam on the pedals it goes, and when i run into a corner is just seems to glide round. I recently did a 160km ride and was find afterwards, no numbness at all. Being sat on a solid carbon saddle for over six and half hours I though I would at least have a few aches and pains but nothing. The next day my legs let me know about it though

I never realised road riding could be so much fun having come from MTB'ing it is a revalation, and I don't come home covered in mud !!!

This is the first road bike I have owned, I spent a morning at Enigma HQ in East Sussex, I rode an Effusion, Extensor and Echo.

Having not riden a road bike for any length of time I trusted Jim at Enigma when he said that the Echo would be the most "all day comfortable", more compliant than the other two and forgiving in a non-racer way.

I've not regretted the decision, it's a flattering ride and of the few 160km rides I've done I can testify that it is all day comfy.

I fell in love with the mirror polished frame and at the time had a Ti Lynskey MTB so was sold on the bare metal look.

In the waiting line for a custom XCR frame to be built up by Ricky Feather, it's going to be more of a stage race, classic lugged, bike. Gonna stick with Campagnolo group, classic bend bars and Ambrosio tubs laced to Royce hubs, can't wait.

Thanks Simonhi, I guess I'll have to get myself back down to Enigma and try them all out. The Echo still seems to represent some pretty good value too. The Lynskey R230 would appear a comparable frame but £500 more.

Make sure you put some shots of the Feather when it's done - that's sure to be a very special bike!

KB wrote:It's a very long wait for one of Ricky Feather's frames. I enquired and was told 12 months, which usually means significantly longer.

I placed my order in March and was told December, going to enjoy building that one up.

The Engma has been updated recently, switched out the white bar, stem and post I favour of 3T Stealth stem and setback post and Rotundo bars with white Fizik microtex tape. The saddle is also now a Tune Kom Vor+.

In addition I have a set of Enve 6.7 tubulars laced to CK R45 silver hubs and silver CX ray spokes, will mount Veloflex Criterium.